Over the years, we’ve written loads of articles about how to create shortcuts to system functions that aren’t easily accessible otherwise—and we’ve got a list of the best ones here.

Pretty much all of these shortcuts work in Windows 7 or Vista, but some of them also work in XP.

	Create a Shortcut or Hotkey to Turn the Desktop Icons On or Off
	Create Shutdown / Restart / Lock Icons in Windows 7 or Vista
	Create a Shortcut Icon or Hotkey to Turn Windows 7 / Vista Firewall On or Off
	Create a Shortcut or Hotkey for the Safely Remove Hardware Dialog
	Create a Shortcut or Hotkey to Clear the Clipboard in Windows
	Create a Shortcut or Hotkey to Eject the CD/DVD Drive
	Create a Shortcut or Hotkey to Immediately Eject a Specific USB Drive
	Create a Shortcut or Hotkey to Mute the System Volume in Windows
	Create a Shortcut or Hotkey to Open Task Manager’s “All Users” View in Windows 7 or Vista
	Create a Shortcut or Hotkey to Run CCleaner Silently
	Create a Shortcut or Hotkey to Switch Power Plans
	Create a Shortcut or Hotkey to Turn Off the Monitor
	Create a Shortcut to Enable/Disable Aero Transparency in 7 / Vista
	Create a Shortcut to the Stored User Names and Passwords Dialog in Windows
	Create Icons to Start the Screensaver on Windows 7 or Vista
	Stupid Geek Tricks: Create a Shortcut to Quickly Edit Your Hosts File
	Create Shortcuts to Quickly Reboot to the Alternate OS in a Vista/XP Dual-Boot
	Create Administrator Mode Shortcuts Without UAC Prompts in Windows 7 or Vista
	Create Shortcut Icon to Disable / Enable the Screensaver

TinyHacker Random Geekery

This was a shorter week for our publishing schedule, so here’s a shorter list of fun stuff we found. 

	Find What You Are Looking for Fast using Windows Grep
	Create Your Own Animated Movies Online using MeMoov
	Download New McAfee Avert Stinger
	3 Free Amazon MP3 Downloads
	Scan your Hard Disk for Errors using Windows Surface Scanner

Super User QnA

Ever wondered if there’s an alternative Skype client out there? Well, there’s not really, but there are other interfaces you can use instead. Read on.

• Erase just the free space on my hard drive
• Which Linux edtion is more stable and reliable?
• Is there an alternative Skype client out there?
• Does HDMI cable “quality” actually affect transmission?
• What to do with spare USB thumb drive?
• Cheap < 150 dollar Computer for my dad that lives cross country
• In computer networks, when is a MAC address used and when is an IP Address used?
• How much more RAM does Windows 7 use than Windows XP?
• Lightweight GUI Linux distribution for really old computer
• I need to password protect the entire computer…

The How-To Geek’s Lifehacker Features

Over on Lifehacker, I’ve written quite a few lengthy articles in the last month covering keeping your system safe and secure, and making sure that you’ve properly backed up your data. Definitely worth a read.

	Protect Yourself from Drive-By Browser Malware Attacks
	You’re Backing Up Your Data the Wrong Way
	Stop Paying for Windows Security; Microsoft’s Security Tools Are Good Enough
	How to Really Browse Without Leaving a Trace

The Geek Note

Hopefully all of you had a happy Thanksgiving and found a great Black Friday deal on a Nintendo Wii Fit to burn off the calories or gather dust.